Cellular communication networks cover a certain geographical area using relatively small coverage regions called cells. Each cell is served by at least one fixed-location transceiver, referred to as a cell site or base station (BS). Since the spectrum available for the network is limited, frequencies are typically reused among multiple cells. Inter-cell interference may occur when transmissions in neighboring cells are scheduled simultaneously on the same or nearby frequencies.
Various methods for mitigating inter-cell interference are known in the art. For example, various 3GPP Long-Term Evolution (LTE) standards specify interference cancellation schemes such as Interference Rejection Combining (IRC), Network Assisted Interference Cancellation and Suppression (NAICS) and Coordinated Multipoint (CoMP).
The description above is presented as a general overview of related art in this field and should not be construed as an admission that any of the information it contains constitutes prior art against the present patent application.